2019 Update: Administrative Professionals’ Day is April 24, 2019. You can check out our most recent thread on what we’re getting for our assistants on Administrative Professionals’ Day here. In the past, we’ve taken polls on administrative professionals day gifts before, talked about how and what to delegate to your assistant, and swapped stories of amazing assistants — our … Read More about PSA: Administrative Assistant’s Day is Wednesday!
What’s the difference between confidence and arrogance, especially at work, especially for women? How can you tell if you’ve crossed that line at work? Reader A wonders… I’ve got a sensitive subject that I haven’t seen discussed about discipline at work. I was recently hired at a law office where I’ve summered the last two … Read More about Being Confident at Work vs. Being Arrogant
2018 Update: We still love this discussion on how to be productive when you work in an open office; links have been updated below. Readers, do you have any tips for how to work productively in an open office? What advice do you have for someone struggling to adjust to one? Reader K wonders how … Read More about How to Be Productive When You Work in an Open Office
What should you do when mental health issues are holding you back and making it difficult for you to build the career you want? Reader O wonders… I have struggled with mental health problems for years and as a result have always worked really terrible jobs (combination of poorly paid, admin/dogsbody type roles with bullying managers). I … Read More about When Fear and Low Self-Esteem Hold You Back
I’m curious, ladies: have you struggled to find a good balance between being a boss (or coworker) who is well liked and one who is respected? Did you have to unlearn the idea that you have to be a “bitch in business” to get ahead? Let me back up a bit. I was interested to read about … Read More about When You’re the Boss: Being Liked vs. Being Respected
If you’re running for the train in high heels and find yourself getting left behind by a male colleague (or a woman, for that matter) as you struggle to keep the pace, is that coworker simply being rude? What should you do next time? Reader L wonders: I am from Germany and I love your Blog. Some topics are … Read More about Left Behind By a Male Colleague While Wearing Heels
Does a faxed letter from a colleague require another fax in reply, or is it acceptable to respond with an email message? What if the differences in communication are due to an age difference between you? Reader M wonders: I’ve got a question about professional correspondence. I work in a boutique transactional law firm that rarely handles any … Read More about Faxes from Older Colleagues: Should You Reply by Email?
Should you friend your boss on Facebook or other social media sites? What about colleagues? What do you do when your superior sends you a request? We haven’t talked about Facebook and bosses for a long time, so I thought we’d revisit. While there are still a ton of amusing stories of people getting fired … Read More about Should You Friend Your Boss On Facebook?
Should you join the office boys’ club if you’ll be the only woman? What if your male coworkers meet and talk shop outside of work while taking part in an activity — such as tennis or golf — that you don’t even like? Reader K, who works outside of the U.S., wonders: I have a question regarding the ‘old boy’s … Read More about Joining the Boys’ Club When You’re a Woman
If you’re out to lunch with partners, should you EVER pick up the tab? Oh, and also: you’re the youngest person present and the only woman. We’ve talked about summer associates paying for lunch, but Reader B has a slightly different situation. Here’s her question: I work in a small firm (12 attorneys) with a pretty casual … Read More about Lunch with Partners: Who Picks up the Tab?
There has been a LOT in the news lately about “bitchface” (when your resting face looks slightly angry/bitchy). A lot of women have poked fun at the problem, such as the Smile, Bitch! Training Camp or this great cartoon, but the policing of women’s facial expressions is also starting (finally!) to be more understood as a form of harassment … Read More about What to Do When Your Boss Tells You to Smile
What should you do when a flirtatious colleague — one who’s kind of your boss — is hitting on you at work? Reader J wonders… I am a (female) BigLaw associate, who has become the focus of flirtatious attention from a (male) partner, who (1) works in another, but near-ish office, (2) is on the Executive Committee, and (3) has … Read More about How to Tell a Flirtatious Boss to Stop Hitting on You
